CAREER: The Integration of Biomolecular Motors for Bacterial Actuation, Sensing, and Transport (BAST) at Micro/Nanoscale

该早期教师职业奖的研究目标是开发使用鞭毛细菌作为微工程系统网络中可控，可重构元素的基本基础，并使聚合蛋白质纳米结构适应纳米级设备的使用。 该项目的智力价值将通过创新实验和纳米结构和纳米器件的计算建模来建立，这些纳米结构和纳米器件对医学，电子和能源学科等不同领域都很重要。 重点将是在各种应用中使用的细菌鞭毛的多晶型转化，包括：纳米结构机器的直接驱动;通过泵送和混合流体驱动;机械驱动，包括自主运输系统;和电气/电子驱动通过无机-有机纳米管。教育计划的目标是将生物和流体系统的相关纳米/微米级工程物理学纳入工程专业本科生和研究生的教育经验。为了实现这一目标，我们将开设一门课程，介绍纳米级制造和计量工程技术的新兴技术，从而为学生增加学习经验创造巨大的潜力。如果成功，这项研究的结果将有助于人们更好地理解细菌鞭毛多态性是如何设计的，从而制造出全新的纳米级致动器和传感器系统。该计划开发的实验技术将广泛应用于其他纳米级系统，其中流体与纳米级结构相互作用。 综合教育活动将有助于生物纳米技术劳动力培训，这对国家的制造业竞争力至关重要。外联部分将为费城地区K-12机构的教师和学生提供纳米技术实验室体验式学习模块。 这些活动将使传统上在高等教育中代表性不足的群体更加重视STEM教育的重要性。

The research objective of this Early Faculty CAREER award is to develop the fundamental foundations for the use of flagellated bacteria as controllable, reconfigurable elements in a network of micro-engineered systems, and to adapt polymeric protein nanostructures for use in nanoscale devices. The intellectual merit of this project will be established through both innovative experiments and computational modeling of nanostructures and nanodevices that are of importance to diverse areas such as medicine, electronics, and energy disciplines. The focus will be on the use of the polymorphic transformation of bacterial flagella in a variety of applications including: direct actuation of nanoscale structural machines; fluid actuation through pumping and mixing; mechanical actuation including autonomous transportation systems; and electrical/electronic actuation through inorganic-organic nanotubes. The goal of the education plan is to bring relevant nano/microscale engineering physics of biological and fluid systems into the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Toward this goal, a course will be offered on the emerging technologies of nanoscale manufacturing and metrology for engineering and technology therefore creating enormous potential for an increased student learning experience.If successful, the results of this research will lead to improved understanding of how the bacterial flagellar polymorphism might be designed to fabricate an entirely new class of nanoscale actuator and sensor systems. Experimental techniques developed in this program will have widespread application to other nanoscale systems in which fluids interact with nanoscale structures. The integrated education activities will contribute to bionanotechnology workforce training that is critical to the nation's manufacturing competitiveness. Outreach components will incorporate laboratory based experiential learning modules in nanotechnology for teachers and students of K-12 institutions in the Philadelphia region. These activities will instill greater appreciation for the importance of STEM education to groups that are traditionally under-represented in higher education.